A Princess Is Born
by BriannaTheStrange
Summary: Queen Elinor and King Fergus are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first child. But waiting has both parents concerned-especially when the big day arrives! Oneshot.


"Fergus, I don't see why you're worryin' so much." sighed Elinor in annoyance as she walked down the halls of castle DunBroch. "I'm perfectly fine."

Her husband hurried after her. "Dear, ye should be restin'! E-et could be any day now!"

The queen halted and quickly turned towards the man. Elinor's midsection was thoroughly rounded with what would soon be their first child. Nine exhausting months had gone by and the day was fast approaching. The kingdom was bustling with excitement waiting for the heir to the kingdom, though no one seemed more anxious than the king. "Fergus, please! I feel fine an' everythin' is peachy."

Fergus brought his hands together and looked at her with concern. "B-but…"

"But _nothing!_" she snapped, her nostrils flaring as she balled her fists up. Another mood swing.

His blue eyes widened with surprise before returning to their normal size. His face dropped and he rubbed his palms together slowly. "Sorry," he murmured quietly.

Elinor's eyes darted to the side whilst her eyebrows knitted together. She made a face before letting out a soft sigh and turning towards him. "No, no,_ I'm_ sorry. I shouldn't 'ave snapped." She reached out and took one of his fingers in her dainty hands before giving it a soft squeeze. "I'm just on edge, is all."

A small smile tugged at the edge of his lips. "Et's alright. I understand. I'm on edge, too…" He was so nervous. After all, this was their first child and he knew nothing about raising a baby. He'd seen a few babies before and read about them in his months waiting to be a father, but reading was different than doing.

Though the main reason he was worried was for Elinor. She knew much more about raising a child, for her mother taught and prepared her. However, Fergus knew that not all births were happy ones. A number of things could go wrong before and during childbirth. The more he thought about it, the more he began to sweat and his heart ached. If anything happened, it would tear him and—more importantly—Elinor apart inside. It was quite likely she wouldn't be able to live with herself. He never brought this thought up to his wife because he did not want to worry her.

However, he didn't know that this thought crossed Elinor's mind constantly. She would often lie awake at night, staring into the distance and wondering what the fateful day of the child's birth would bring. Would it be happiness or despair? Celebration or mourning? Anything could happen. Elinor would frequently find herself placing a hand on her stomach absently and holding her breath until she felt a kick from the baby. Only then would she let herself relax.

Finally, she forced herself to smile softly back at him. "I feel fine, darling. An' so is the baby." Her smile turned to a toothy grin. "I always feel et kickin'."

Fergus shoulders relaxed and he ran his fingers over her knuckles gently. "Does et hurt more than et did earlier?"

"Aye," Elinor let out an exasperated groan, though her smile remained. "She's a strong one."

Immediately Fergus straightened up and stared into her eyes with surprise. "S-she?" he stammered.

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him in confusion for several seconds. "Wot? O-oh! I mean, I don't know for _certain_ if et's a girl." she quickly sputtered, "I just…I just have this feeling et is."

"Oh," he panted, placing a free hand over his heart. "A lass, though! Goodness, if et _is_ a lass, she sure is feisty. She's gonna be just like you."

Elinor's lips curved up into a pleased and amused smirk. "If et's a girl, I apologize that you're going tae have tae deal with the two of us."

He chuckled softly, removing his hand from hers and brushing a bit of hair from his wife's face gently. "No matter who our baby turns out tae be, they're lucky tae 'ave you as their mother."

The queen placed her hand on his and leaned into his palm. "An' you as their father."

* * *

Later that night, the couple sat up in bed. Both were dressed in their night clothes. Elinor's crown was on her bedside table and her hair was loose from its braids, yet neat as ever.

Fergus was reading a book about raising children. It scared him somewhat. Elinor sat beside him sewing together a newborn-sized dress. Fergus questioned her when he spied the dress, asking "Wot if et's a lad?" and she just rolled her eyes and muttered, "Then we'll send this tae the village for a baby there an' get the boy a kilt."

The king was thoroughly engrossed in his reading material. "Listen 'ere. Et says that many babies recognize their mother's voice when they're born." He looked up in astonishment. "Do ye think that's true?"

Elinor shrugged and kept her eyes down at her needle as she sewed. "Perhaps. I don't know for sure," She smiled at the thought. "Wot else does et say?"

He looked down and placed a finger on the page. "Many newborn babies can eat up tae twelve meals in a day." he recited, grinning. "That's more than me!"

"Twelve? Goodness! We're goin' tae be up all night feeding et!" She then snipped the last bit of lingering thread from the dress and held the garment up for her husband to see. "Wot d' you think?"

Fergus set the book down and smiled with delight. "Et's lovely, darlin'!" He carefully took it from her and examined it softly. "Are babies really this small?"

Elinor placed a hand over her mouth as she laughed softly. "Yes, dear. Most newborns are." Her gaze went from her husband and to the dress. Yes, it was small. And just the thought that soon she may have a daughter to put in it and call her own made the queen's heart swell with emotions. This inner feeling showed itself through her eyes and she began to cry.

Hearing her quiet sniffles, Fergus looked up. "Elinor? A-are ya alright?" He set the dress down on his lap and scooted closer the queen. "Why are ye cryin'?"

"I jus' r-realized that we're so close tae being…" She closed her eyes and inhaled shakily. "…tae being _parents_."

Fergus' face brightened and a soft chuckle escaped him. "Oh, love." He soothingly rubbed her back and leaned against her shoulder. "Isn't et amazin'? Ack, I think about us bein' parents every day!"

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "You're going tae be a wonderful father," she praised, smiling slightly, though it was short-lived. "But wot about _me_? I mean…a mother? Honestly. I don't know wot I'm going tae do." Her voice was wracked with worry as she spoke.

"Wot? Don't talk like that, Elinor. You, m'dear, are goin' tae be a fantastic mother!" His eyes gleamed with pride as he placed a hand tenderly on her swollen stomach. He flinched with surprise as he felt a forceful kick from the baby.

Elinor flinched as well due to the fact that each new kick from the baby was more powerful than the last. However, she managed a small smile at her husband's enthusiasm. "Thank you, Fergus,"

"Et's no bother, my darlin'. But I know you'll be the best mother that ever was." Grinning, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a light squeeze. Suddenly, Elinor let out a yelp. "Oh!" gasped Fergus as he cringed backwards. "Too tight? Sorry,"

Her face screwed up and she bent forward. "N-no, et's not that!" she gasped, clenching her teeth. "Et's somethin' else. Th-the baby is just—_UGH!_—kicking so hard!"

Fergus' eyes widened. "B-but the baby's kicked hard before, right? Just as the physician told ye—ye just need tae relax an'-"

"_NO!_" Elinor practically screamed whilst she leaned forward further. "These are different! More forceful than before! I-I need tae…_AAUGG_!"

"Wot? Wot d'ye need?" stammered Fergus, shaking with anxiety. "Tell me!"

She slowly looked up with teeth clenched and her face a deep red. "Fergus," Elinor groaned painfully. "I think et's time."

* * *

"Do not fret, my queen," soothed one of the many nurses and maids surrounding Elinor. "It will only be a few hours."

"_HOURS?_" she gasped, cringing in pain. Now moved to the nurse's chamber, Elinor lay dressed in a plain gown and in a bed of fresh linens.

The nurse patted a wet cloth on the queen's forehead. "Aye. But et will be over before ye know et." She then hurried off, but plenty of nurses took her place.

Elinor felt like lashing out at everyone in the room due to the crushing pain she felt, but settled for screaming in agony instead. Fergus stood a ways off in the corner, twiddling his thumbs nervously. He wanted to approach, but the mass of women restricted him. He perked up when Elinor's eyes, wild with pain, settled on him. Fergus opened his mouth and ran to her, but several maids approached him. "My king, et's best if ye wait outside," one insisted, but he made his way quickly around them.

"Elinor!" the king gasped as he skittered to a halt at her bedside and practically tumbled over. "Are ye alright?"

Her eyes huge and sweat rolling down her face, the queen fell back into the pillows. "Fergus," she wheezed, limply putting her clammy hand on his finger. "Et just hurts so much,"

Fergus stared at her with worry and used his thumb to stroke her hand reassuringly. "I know, I know. B-but just hang in there… Think about et—we'll have a son or a daughter soon! Like ye said, we're gonna be pa-AAARENTSSSSSS!" He wailed as his wife's hand practically crushed his finger.

Elinor's back arched and she let out another long moan. As the queen lay with her head flopped into the pillows, she gave him a stare full of suffering. She sputtered a bit and tried to speak, but all she could do was groan.

"Elinor!" he panted, growing even more panicked than before. He felt suddenly lightheaded and stumbled blindly back a bit into a crowd of approaching nurses.

"Your majesty, I do apologize, but you're goin' tae need tae wait outside." A small pack of nurses hurried him off towards the door, despite his protests. "There's hardly enough room for all nurses. We are sorry." Before the king knew it, he was in the hall and the door had been slammed behind him.

Fergus knew they were right. There wasn't a lot of room, plus they'd have to watch over him and tend to his constant fretting. Placing an ear gingerly to the door, he flew back as another one Elinor's wails pierced the air. "Ugh!" he grunted in torture as he stomped away and began pacing by the door. It was unbearable to hear his wife in such anguish but not be able to help her.

He began talking to himself—trying to assure himself that it was going to be alright. But then came the dark and pestering thoughts of "Wot if somethin' bad happens?" Anything could happen now. Elinor was strong and able for childbearing, but what if she wasn't strong enough? What if Elinor couldn't take it? What if the baby was ill? What if it wasn't strong enough to— _No_. Fergus smacked his forehead and admonished himself for thinking such horrible thoughts. Everything would be fine. Wouldn't it?

* * *

It had been several agonizing hours for the both of them, though it was emotional turmoil for Fergus and physical for Elinor.

Elinor was in a pain too awful for words. For the past dragging hours, she wailed at nurses for some sort of relief, but to no avail. The queen practically cracked the bedside railings from gripping them so hard. She wanted desperately to see Fergus and for him to tell her it was going to be okay. Elinor screamed for him incessantly, but the nurses were resilient in their decision to keep him outside. Finally she gave up asking for him, though it killed her that he was forced to stay away.

Outside, Fergus sat opposite from the door, slumped on the ground and leaning against a wall. His face was buried in his hands and he sat silently. He considered bursting in several times, but knew this would only distract everyone from helping his wife. He cringed inwardly as he heard her wail once more.

"_HOW MUCH LONGER?_"

He strained his ears and managed to pick up, "Not long, my queen. Almost time."

During the next hour, Fergus had nearly passed out from exhaustion. He forced himself to stay awake, though he could do without his wife's screams. Each one made him wince and grit his teeth. Oh, how he wished he could be by her side.

Finally, just when all hope was almost lost, he heard it. It was the most beautiful sound in the world: the sound of a newborn baby's cry. Raising his head, Fergus' eyes stretched wide with astonishment. Could it be? He scrambled against the walls and dashed across the room to the door. The king skidded to a halt and bounced on his toes with nervous anticipation. _Where is a nurse? C'mon, where are ye?_ he called in his mind. Finally his prayers were answered as the door opened slowly.

As soon as he saw the face of the nurse, he bombarded her with questions. "Elinor! Is she alright? Where is she? An' the baby! Are they alright too? Please, tell me!" He tried to look around the half-open door.

The nurse nodded slowly as if not listening. "We'll leave ye an' the queen alone."

Fergus stared at her. That was not a clear answer at all. What did that mean? The door opened as nurses walked out, many of them carrying bloodied rags and linens. "No…" he whispered as the final nurse exited. He felt his skin grow clammy and heart race. His path now clear, he shoved the door open and let it swing shut behind him. The dark room was empty and glowed softly with dim orange light from the fireplace. Then, in a somewhat gloomy corner, he saw her.

"El…Elinor…" he whispered, hardly able to speak. His eyes were heavy and his feet dragged along the ground. Her eyes were closed and she lay back against the pillows of her bed while the soft glow of the fire illuminated her. He stooped over her bedside and looked down at her peaceful face. Her normally perfect hair was somewhat of a mess and a few loose strands stuck to her flushed cheeks. Beads of sweat still lingered on her forehead as if they had just formed.

Absently, he put a stool underneath him and sat down beside her. "Elinor…" His eyes stung with tears as he slumped onto the railing and covered his face while his shoulders shook with sobs.

Suddenly, Elinor's brown eyes fluttered open at the sudden sound of crying. "W-wot?" she murmured tiredly, still in a daze. "Who…whos' there?"

Fergus' gaze grew wide and his head flew up. "Elinor?" he gasped, seeing her now dull eyes blinking open. "Elinor!" He instantly flew forward and kissed her madly all over the face, tears sliding down his cheeks and staining the sheets. "Oh, darlin'! You're alive! Positively alive!"

Elinor sputtered in shock at his sudden kisses. "F-Fergus? W-wot the-? Of course I'm alive! Why wouldn't I be?"

He ceased his kisses and pulled back slightly. "I—I asked a nurse if you w-were alright, but she didn't say anythin'. Then…then the rest walked out with bloodied rags an' I just…I thought…"

The queen blinked in shock and sat herself up a bit. "You…thought that I was…? No, no! I'm fine," she assured, feeling pain in her heart that her husband could have thought she had not survived the ordeal. It was a grim possibility before, but that was no longer a problem now. "I'm alright,"

Fergus let out a soft sigh of relief, smiling. His smile faded and he abruptly began looking around the room. "Th-the baby. Where is et?" He stared down at her with shock in his eyes. "Please tell me the baby isn't-"

"_FERGUS!_" she snapped, using the bit of strength she had left she sock him in the arm. Instantly, she had his attention.

"Y-yes?" he murmured, staring at her with worry and expectance.

Elinor's gaze grew soft as she slowly leaned back. "The baby is fine," she breathed, smiling up at him gently. "Everythin' went perfectly."

Fergus let out another huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the stars!" He gripped the railing and glanced wildly around. "H-how is et? N-not sick? Not anythin'?"

Elinor looked up at him with an amused grin. "Perfectly healthy. She just came out fighting, that's for sure," She rolled her eyes tiredly, but with good-humor. "Et's obvious she gets her stubbornness from _you_,"

"O-oh, guid I—wait. _She_?" he gasped, practically snapping the railings this time as he clutched them in surprise. "Ye said '_she_', right?"

The queen's face lit up and she nodded slowly. "Looks like we have a daughter," she chuckled.

It took him a moment to process this. He, the bear king of DunBroch, was a _father_. He had a _daughter_. When the information took root in his brain, a huge smile crossed his face. "A daughter! Elinor! A daughter!" He flew forward and buried his face into her hair, embracing her gently. "We 'ave a _daughter_!"

Elinor laughed quietly, bringing her arms up around him. "Yes," she murmured, letting joyous tears fill her eyes and roll down her cheeks. "We do,"

Pulling back slightly, he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Heh, ye were right! Et's a girl!" He wiggled with glee in his chair as he beamed down at his wife. Suddenly another thought crossed him. "W-wait, where is she? Where's our girl?"

The queen used the sleeve of her dress to wipe her tears. "They just took her off tae clean an' clothe her." she informed whilst straightening herself up in the bed. "She should be back any minute-"

Just then, another door in the room, one Fergus failed to notice earlier, opened. A single nurse walked in carrying a bundle wrapped up in a soft white blanket. "Your majesties, may I present: the princess of DunBroch." She approached the free side of Elinor's bed and carefully handed the bundle off to the queen before curtsying and leaving them be.

The two blinked in shock as they both were now able to see their child. Removing a bit of blanket revealed the baby's round, somewhat freckled face. Two huge blue eyes instantly stared up at Elinor. Already, the baby had a mop of orange locks that spilled out of the blanket, though the fabric covered up most of her head. Her tiny mouth was pursed and gave the child a questioning expression.

"She's…she's so," Elinor murmured quietly, astonished at the girl who looked up at her with an inquisitive stare.

"Beautiful?" he suggested, smiling proudly as he leaned forward. "Aye. She get's that from you, that's fer sure."

Elinor carefully brushed the girl's long, curly bang from her face. With a squeak, the baby began squirming in her blanket until a small hand finally managed to reveal itself. The fingers clumsily searched for her mother's hand until she finally took her mother's finger in her strong grip. This caused a victorious and squeaky laugh to arise from the newborn, which made both parents smile with delight.

"Heh! Lookit that!" laughed Fergus cheerfully. "She knows her mother right away!"

"Indeed," Elinor chuckled softly as the baby began studying her finger with blue eyes widened to their full extent. "Goodness, Fergus! She looks so much like you!" she gasped, wiggling her finger to amuse her child. "Especially with those eyes an' hair."

He puffed his chest proudly. "Aye, that she does!" The king gently poked the baby's nose, causing another squeak to arise from her. "Lucky she's got _your_ nose,"

"Very lucky. But I like your nose; et suits you." she teased, turning back to her daughter. Her grip loosened on Elinor's finger and the redhead soon poked out another hand from her blanket. Shrieking with glee, the baby attempted to reach up to her mother's smiling face. When her efforts came to no avail, she managed to take a clump of Elinor's brown hair and begin chewing it.

Fergus doubled over in laughter at the sight of this. "Ah, Elinor! Watch out—we got a beastie on our hands!" he chuckled, feigning mock horror.

Elinor rolled her eyes and managed to remove her hair from her child's mouth. "Silly girl," she cooed, bringing the princess upward and kissing her on the nose lovingly. "No eatin' mummy's hair."

Fergus pouted somewhat. "Can I hold her? Please?"

The queen paused and looked down at her adorable girl. "Of course, _dad_," Carefully, she held out the bundle to her husband and smiled.

"EEE! Hello, girl! I'm yer father—the greatest warrior that ever lived!" Fergus laughed as he gently cradled her. The baby looked up at him curiously as if not sure what to think.

"Such a lovely introduction," scoffed the queen with a smirk.

Fergus stuck his tongue out slightly. "Hmph. Pay no mind tae mummy, dear. She's just grumpy is all."

"Grumpy?" gasped Elinor, placing her hands to her hips. "More like exhausted—but I'm _startin'_ tae get grumpy. You'd be this way, too, if ye had tae spend hours giving birth!"

The king knit his eyebrows together and shook his head. "Hey, no yellin' infronta my wee darlin'," he cooed, placing a finger by the girl's palm. His fingernail was roughly the size of her entire hand, and this amused him greatly. She then closely looked over his finger with her stare wide once more. After a few moments, the child shoved his finger away and reached up towards him with grabbing motions. Fergus looked nervously at his wife. "W-wot do I do?"

Elinor raised an eyebrow. "Lift her up. Let her get wot she wants,"

Fergus cast an unsure look at his tiny daughter, who squeaked incessantly with grabbing hands. Slowly, he raised the bundle up to his face. "Hello, again," he murmured quietly. Without warning, the girl reached forward and used one hand to tug gently at his mustache and used the other to softly smack at his nose. "GAH! Elinor, wot do I do now?"

"Give her 'ere," Elinor muttered as she extended her hands out towards him.

It took Fergus a moment, but he managed to carefully pry his daughter's fingers away and place her back into her mother's arms. "Strong, she is!"

Elinor nodded slowly as she cradled her precious daughter in her arms. "Resilient, too," she murmured proudly while softly examining her child's face. Her brown eyes widened as a bubble of saliva formed on the baby's lips. The girl's face beamed with delight and both parents chuckled at the antics. Suddenly, the bubble popped in the baby's face and stunned her somewhat. Their daughter's blue gaze grew huge and her mouth opened slightly, Elinor cringed and waited with despair for the high-pitched wails to begin. However, this was not the case. The girl blinked rapidly before screeching with laughter and flailing her hands excitedly. "Goodness, you had me scared," sighed Elinor with relief as she stroked her daughter's hair.

"She's gonna be a handful, I can tell." the king laughed, reaching forward and poking the baby's nose.

Elinor suddenly grew tired at the thought, but remained positive. "For certain. But et's going tae be all worth et, you know." She lifted the bundle closer to her face and kissed her beloved girl tenderly on her cheek. "Because no matter how much of a handful she is, she's our daughter."

Fergus nodded proudly before placing a finger to his chin in thought. "Ye know wot… She doesn't even have a name!" He realized, staring down at his wife. "We'd better do somethin' about that!"

Elinor blinked and nodded rapidly, realizing this as well. "You're right!" Her gaze turned to the girl that looked expectantly at both her parents. "We can't have our princess without a name!" she murmured in a silly voice, causing the redhead to giggle.

"Well…wot abouttttt…Annabelle?" he ventured with a shrug. "Uh, Molly? Kenzie?"

"No, no, no," Elinor shook her head as she used a finger to trace her daughter's rounded face. "Et needs tae be more…unique. Like her."

Fergus shrugged. "Well…eh, do you have any ideas?"

Her eyes narrowing in thought, she pursed her lips. Elinor didn't know that baby naming could be so hard, and she wished they'd settled on a name before their daughter was born. Suddenly, it hit her. "Wot about…Merida?" She looked up at Fergus and smiled. "Et's a name as unique as she is."

"Merida?" he repeated curiously. After a few moments of thought, his face lit up with a smile. "I love et!"

Elinor smirked and turned back to the princess. "You hear that, little one? You've got a name." She poked the girl on the nose. "Merida. Princess Merida." Hearing her mother's words, Merida giggled with delight. Her blue eyes brightened and she squirmed around in her blanket, longing to be free. "Oh, no. You need tae stay in there. But don't fret—soon you'll be able tae break free of your fluffy prison."

Fergus leaned over the railing and looked down fondly at his wife and child. "Ah, just look at this. My two girls together at last," He then pressed his lips gently against Elinor's, who closed her eyes and smiled when she received the kiss. "I'm so proud of you, Elinor."

"Thank you, Fergus," Elinor murmured as she looked up at him, her eyes glistening with a mixture of passion, delight, and relief.

Both then settled their gazes on the joyous bundle in the queen's arms. It was so incredible just to see her there after so long. The nine grueling months had been entirely worth it to have such a precious gift finally in their lives.

Elinor and Fergus watched their dearest Merida with love and pride in their eyes. Both knew there was something special about this girl. Maybe it was the way her eyes gleamed with wonder, or how her fiery hair seemed to glow, or her already bright and resilient spirit.

Whatever the reason, the new mother and father treasured their beloved daughter, and always would.


End file.
